HB&B Blog — New England IPA

The Beer Lover's Table: Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantains) with Mojo Sauce and Indie Rabble Wet George Double IPA

Beer Lover's Table Claire Bullen Double IPA Indie Rabble IPA New England IPA

The Beer Lover's Table: Tostones (Twice-Fried Plantains) with Mojo Sauce and Indie Rabble Wet George Double IPA

Eight years ago, a friend of a friend invited me to her home and made tostones for me. I watched as she removed the plantains from their thick green peels, fried inch-thick coins of them, smooshed them flat, then fried them again. She served them with mojo – a vivid green sauce of coriander, citrus, oil, and spice – and we ate them, still radiating heat from the fryer, their dusting of sea salt crackling between our teeth. I’ve wanted to make tostones for myself ever since, but never did – perhaps intimidated by the deep-frying (which I’ve since learned is...

Read more →


The Beer Lover's Table: Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelitos and Makemake New Moon Rising IPA

Claire Bullen IPA Makemake New England IPA

The Beer Lover's Table: Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelitos and Makemake New Moon Rising IPA

I never realised what guava could be until I walked into a Brazilian supermarket. Until then, I knew guava mostly as a tasting note that was semi-frequently ascribed to hazy IPAs, usually flanked by mango, papaya and passionfruit, not so much individually articulated as considered one tropical mishmash. Occasionally, I came across guava juice. If I ever saw the fruit itself at the local greengrocer, it was shrunken and small, wrinkled with age and practically aromaless. But then, in March, I entered that grocery store in Rio de Janeiro and was overcome. What was that smell? Vivid, sweet, pungent, perfumed…...

Read more →


The Beer Lover's Table: Vegetarian Keema and Baron Brewing Culprit New England IPA

Baron Brewing Beer Lover's Table Claire Bullen IPA NEIPA New England IPA

The Beer Lover's Table: Vegetarian Keema and Baron Brewing Culprit New England IPA

Back in university, I was lucky enough to room with my friend Sarah, who wasn’t just an all-round lovely human but also a talented cook and baker. One of her signature dishes was keema, a minced lamb or beef dish prepared as a curry, amply spiced and endlessly comforting. I loved it so much that it soon became a running joke between us. Since then, Sarah has shared various keema tips with me. Just a few weeks ago, a new message popped up that simply read: “New favourite keema recipe” and included a link to a recipe for “dhaba-style keema”. She noted...

Read more →


Fundamentals #124 — Full Circle Brew Co Half Nelson IPA

Full Circle IPA Matthew Curtis New England IPA Newcastle

Fundamentals #124 — Full Circle Brew Co Half Nelson IPA

I love it when breweries kick on, especially when this involves releasing a beer that comes out of nowhere and knocks my little cotton socks off. One brewery to do that recently has been Newcastle’s Full Circle, which has hoisted itself up from the role of a newcomer, making an effort to assert its presence, and now feels like it’s deservedly taking a place as one of the most exciting young brewing prospects in the UK. I’ve been writing about beer for more than a decade and during this time I’ve seen the number of UK breweries more than double....

Read more →


Fundamentals #110 – Floc Brewing Pleasure Theory V2 NEIPA

Canterbury Floc Brewing Fundamentals IPA Matthew Curtis New England IPA

Fundamentals #110 – Floc Brewing Pleasure Theory V2 NEIPA

Pleasure is undoubtedly one of the most fundamental things about beer, and why we drink it. In fact, I explore this topic as much in my book, Modern British Beer, in which I pose that experiencing joy through drinking delicious beer is largely the reason why we crack these cans during our downtime, enhancing that feeling of warmth and contentment that relaxing brings us. Pleasure is also something we experience through great music. (In fact, in the earliest days of this column I used to recommend some listening to accompany the beer I was reviewing. Perhaps this should make a...

Read more →